[Fish Sandwich]

Above all else I have to say about this episode, I've got to call attention to just how flippin' cool it makes all the Riders look. It's Sakamoto doing what he does best. The action is nuts, Touma, Rintarou, and Kento all get their little bit of stuntwork in before transforming (that little flourish of the sword Rintarou does!), and once they are transformed, it's just cool moment after cool moment. I'm always going to be happy whenever Esapda gets to say that catchphrase after beating a monster, and the addition of Slash to the lineup reveals that on top of being a Sentai, Saber is also Ex-Aid.

Hardly an original observation, I'm sure, but man is it glaring. He even changes personality when fighting! Genius Swordsman D did a great job feeling wild and out-there even by the standards of one of the loudest Rider shows ever, and it's going to be fun seeing Daishinji get more actively involved with the cast from here on out. Overall, the episode left me feeling pretty much like Touma is at the end: all these guys are just super cool to be around and I'm excited at the prospect of stories about them all.

The insane rush of merch introuctions is absolutely more glaring than usual for Kamen Rider, but I have to say, I still think Saber is finding a way to own that? It's hard to put my finger on, but the overall atmosphere of the series so far is lending itself well enough to all these Books popping up, and while it doesn't help the aforementioned Sentai comparisons, there's an emphasis on the teamwork and group dynamics forming that makes the number of Riders feel fairly natural. The characters have all established personalities for themselves quite well already, and a lot of them have good chemistry going together.

The show will probably slow down at some point, and that'll probably be nice, but even if it doesn't, I don't see it bothering me that much for a year. I'm fine with this being just a quirk of Saber, is maybe how I'd put it; if every Rider show from this point on has a first quarter like this, I admit it'd definitely burn me out a little. For now, though? Saber's a good time. One of those cases where I can easily see why it's not working at all for some people, but I honestly do think it has a charm all its own.